Matthias

Matthias was the disciple chosen by lot to replace Judas Iscariot among the Twelve Apostles, according to the Acts of the Apostles.

Connect

Acts of the Apostles: A New Testament book recounting the early Christian movement and the apostles’ activities. Its first chapter narrates Matthias’s selection to restore the Twelve.
Casting lots: A method of making a decision by drawing or casting marked objects, often interpreted as revealing divine choice. Acts says the lot fell to Matthias after prayer.
Acts 1: The opening chapter of Acts, including the account of Judas’s death and Matthias’s selection. This chapter is the sole New Testament narrative of Matthias’s appointment.
Paul the Apostle: An early Christian missionary and letter-writer who claimed a commission as an apostle after Jesus’s resurrection. Unlike Matthias, Paul’s apostolic calling is presented as a later personal commission.
Judas Iscariot: A disciple of Jesus who betrayed him and was later described as dying after his betrayal. His departure created the vacancy Matthias was chosen to fill.
Prayer in Christianity: Communication with God through praise, confession, thanksgiving, petition, or contemplation. The candidates’ selection is preceded by a prayer asking God to indicate his choice.
Eusebius of Caesarea: A fourth-century Christian historian whose Ecclesiastical History preserves early traditions about the Church. He records traditions about Matthias’s later missionary activity.
Apostle: A messenger or envoy; in Christianity, the term especially names figures commissioned to proclaim Jesus’s message. The differing uses of apostle prompt questions about Matthias’s status and the group’s boundaries.
Joseph Barsabbas: A disciple also called Justus, who was considered alongside Matthias to replace Judas. He was the other candidate in the selection described in Acts.
Apostolic succession: The doctrine that authority in the Christian Church descends through a continuous succession from the apostles. Matthias’s appointment raises questions about how apostolic office continued after Judas.